Alt Image Caption: Image shows a mocked up image of Issue No. 1 on fire. Image reads- Cinder Magazine Presents: The Fire Issue
Visual art, short stories, poetry, prose, experimental works, and more—created by more than 55 chronically ill, neurodivergent, and/or disabled creatives worldwide.
An issue built together
This inaugural issue marks the beginning of Cinder Magazine, an independently published art and literature magazine built through collaboration, care, and community support.
Hello Friends, Readers, and Curious Minds,
This publication exists because a lot of people believed in something before it had a physical form.
From the beginning, this magazine has been shaped by the creatives who trusted us with their work, often long before there was a clear sense of how—or when—it would all come together. Submitting art and writing is an act of generosity, and we’re deeply grateful to every person who shared their work, their time, and their patience while this project took shape.
Behind the scenes, the process of bringing this first issue to life has been intentional and hands-on. Our team is small, which has meant approaching each step with curiosity, care, and a bit of manic-creative energy. This issue is the result of many late nights, long conversations, and a shared commitment to presenting this work with the care it deserves.
As presales for Issue No. 1 open, we’re excited to share a glimpse of what has been building quietly over time. This first issue is the foundation for what we hope will support future issues, expanded community projects, and new opportunities for the creatives who make this work possible.
Thank you for being here, we’re nearly there!
The Cinder Magazine Team
Fire is a universal symbol that can reflect any number of meanings from creation to destruction. Flames have been known to represent purification, spirituality, power, pain, hospitality, rebirth, knowledge and enlightenment, revolution, and an infinite number of themes that we collectively experience as humans. This issue, we asked creatives what fire means to them and their work.
The theme of the first issue is fire.
Like fire, our experiences as a disabled community hold many diverse facets and contradictions – creation and destruction, warmth and danger, clarity and chaos. Our art and writing can warm a room or burn down a barrier, and both are necessary. Some may call us too much, too intense, or too demanding, but fire does not apologize for its light. At Cinder Magazine we are building connections like kindling because fire, on its own, is brief. Fire needs others: fuel, breath, and space to grow. So do we. We are building a publication that keeps each other lit when the world tries to dim us, not only to endure but to illuminate a better path forward.
READY TO SUBSCRIBE??
Important Dates for 2026:
Issue 1 released March 27 2026 in physical and digital formats
Submissions for Issue 2 open April 8, 2026